Access control systems in buildings, for example, are principally concerned with physical security and the selective access to, restriction of, and/or notification of access to a place or other resource through as access point. Historically, the main components of the access control systems were the verification system, access control readers and possibly door or elevator controllers. The access control readers were often installed to enable presentation of credentials to obtain access to restricted areas, such as buildings or areas of the buildings. The readers were installed near access points, such as doors or hallways or elevator doors.
Typically, individuals would interact with the access control readers by swiping keycards or bringing contactless smart cards within range (approximately 2-3 inches or 5 centimeters) of the reader. The access control readers would read the credential information of the keycards and forward the information 5o the verification system, which then confirmed the credentials against a verification database. The verification system determined if the individuals were authorized to access the restricted areas. If the individuals were authorized, then the access control readers might signal door controller to unlock doors or not generate alarms or activate elevators, to list a few examples.
More recently, frictionless access control systems are being proposed and designed. These systems typically rely on individuals carrying beacon devices that can broadcast credentials, such as dedicated fob devices or personal mobile computing devices, such as tablet or smart phone computing devices. The access control systems will then monitor and track the individuals as they move through the buildings and automatically open access points such as doors when approached, assuming that the individuals are authorized to pass through those access points.